Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Kevin
James, star of the hit comedies Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Zookeeper will also be
seen late this year in the ensemble, sci-fi comedy Pixels. He began his showbiz
career as a stand-up comic on the Long Island
circuit. After being discovered at the 1996 Montreal Comedy Festival, he signed
a network development deal to create his own sitcom.

“The
King of Queens,” which premiered in 1998, ran for nine seasons on CBS with
Kevin co-starring and executive producing. The show garnered him an Emmy nomination
in 2006 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and has continued to air
all around the world in syndication since concluding its run.

On
the big screen, Kevin made his feature film debut in Hitch opposite Will Smith.
Since then, he headlined Here Comes the Boom, and starred alongside Adam
Sandler in Grown Ups, Grown Ups 2, and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.
Besides his live-action work, he’s done voice work in such animated features as
Monster House, Hotel Transylvania, and its upcoming sequel, Hotel Transylvania
2, opening this fall.

Here,
Kevin talks about his new film, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, a slapstick-driven
sequel which finds the hapless hero on vacation in Vegas with his college-bound
daughter (Raini Rodriguez) until he instinctively jumps into action when duty
calls.

Kam
Williams: Hi Kevin, thanks so much for another
opportunity to speak with you.

Kevin James:
No problem, Kam. How’s it going?

KW:
Great, thanks! The last time we spoke, you were doing Here
Comes the Boom?

KJ:
Oh, I wish that one did better. I loved that movie.

KW:
So did I. I gave it a great
review.

KJ:
That was awesome. Thank you.

KW:
So what inspired you to put back on the badge on hop onto the Segway again?

KJ:
You know, we all loved the character, and after the first
film did well, I didn’t want to see him disappear. It was just time, it felt
right, and we missed him. We also wanted to bring him back because the world
needs a hero now. So, it was nice to bring him to Vegas, make it a bigger
platform, and raise the stakes. He’s going through an emotional time with his
daughter [played by Raini
Rodriguez] who’s about to go off to college. But he can’t separate
himself from his calling, and even though he’s on vacation, he’s got to serve
and protect. You can’t take him away from his work.

KW:
How was it co-writing the script with Todd Garner and Nick
Bakay, who wrote Zookeeper for you?

KJ:
It’s just great, because these guys know Paul Blart so well.
So, we’re able to bounce ideas off each other, which makes the process more
comfortable. And of course, the character’s more familiar to us, which means we
were able to take it to another level.

KW:
I have some questions for you from fans. Editor Lisa Loving
says: There is something
about the mall cop as a stock persona in American culture. We've all giggled at
mall cops. In our town, the mall cops used to dress up in Canadian Mountie hats
like Dudley Do-Right. And yet they are serious law enforcement professionals
too, as we have seen in some of the more outrageous acts of mass violence
during the past decade. In my home state of Oregon
that includes the Clackamas
Town Center
shooting of a few years ago. Paul, what do you draw on in creating this
character?

KJ:
Initially, I drew on the stereotype of them as goofy. But
then I thought about the fact that these security guards have basically the
same job as regular cops but without any of the training or lethal weapons. It
was inspiring to me. I was like, “These guys are really heroes!” They’re doing
more with less. That’s the key.

KW:
Sangeetha Subramanian says: Hi
Kevin! I'm a huge fan of your stand-up and on-screen work! Is your approach to
comedy different for a family-friendly movie like the Paul Blart movies versus
your other work?

KJ:
They’re certainly different from The Grown-Ups films which
aren’t dirty at all. But since I have four kids now, I try to gear my movies
towards them, so we can sit down and watch them together. That’s what makes me
feel good and drives me to create content for parents who desperately want to
have a great time in the theater with their children as a family.

KW:
Eleanor Welski asks: What's
the special place your song takes you to? I think she might be referring to
your character, Paul Blart.

KJ:
It takes him to a higher level, to hero status.

KW:
The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being redone,
is there a remake you'd like to star in?

KJ:
Wow! That’s a good question. A movie I would like to do
again is Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I love that movie. That’s the sort of
movie I gravitate towards, one where you have an underdog who somehow overcomes
the odds. I’m always looking for movies, and I would definitely consider a
remake.

KW:
Did you ever see Baby’s Day Out? That’s another great film by
John Hughes.

KJ:
I’m a huge John Hughes fan, but that’s one of his I haven’t seen.

KW:
It’s every bit as funny as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and
Planes, Trains and Automobiles. And you can watch it with your kids.

KJ:
In L.A., I like Orange County.
There also some beautiful spots in San
Diego. And I was in Encino for a long time, and
enjoyed that as well.

KW:
The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what
animal would you be?

KJ:
I’d say a manatee for several reasons. I don’t have long
arms… I like to just float… and I eat a lot. [Chuckles]

KW:
The Anthony Mackie question: Isthere
anything that you promised yourself you’d do if you became famous, that you
still haven’t done yet?

KJ:
Get ripped.

KW:
The Viola Davis question: What’s the biggest difference between who you are at
home as opposed to the person we see on the red carpet?

KJ:
On the red carpet, you’re always trying to watch and guide
your way through these questions, while at home you free to just be loose and
let your kids climb all over you, and you don’t have to throw any makeup on
your face.

KW:
Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

KJ:
Wow! That’s a good question. That would be the question.

KW:
The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?

KJ:
The possibility of bringing an unsung hero to the screen.

KW:
The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe
all successful people share?

KJ:
Humility.

KW:
Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What is your favorite
charity?

KJ:
I have several different causes I support, but I don’t have
one favorite.

KW:
Let's say you’re throwing your
dream dinner party—who’s invited.

KJ:
This is gonna sound weird, but it would be the band One
Direction.

KW:
Would you be inviting them for yourself or for your kids?

KJ:
For both.

KW:
The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?

KJ:
I think it would be Under Armour.

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you
ever afraid on the set anymore?

KJ:
I get butterflies because I’m excited, but not because I’m
afraid.

KW:
The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would
you choose?

KJ:
This is awkward, because I do have a superpower. I have a
vertical jump of about 17 or 18 feet.

KW: The Laz Alonso question: How can
your fans help you?

KJ:
By going out with their families and enjoying Paul Blart 2
and the other movies I make.

KW:
The Pastor Alex Kendrick question: When do you feel the most
content?

KJ:
When I’m at home with my family, just hanging out and
watching a movie.

KW:
Lastly, Kevin, what’s in your wallet?

KJ:
What’s in your wallet? My goodness! A little Pyle [GPS chip]
to help me find it, because I lose it all the time.

No comments:

Subscribe via email

Subscribe via RSS

The Sly Fox Film Reviews

KamWilliams.com

The Sly Fox Film Reviews publishes the content of film critic Kam Williams. Voted Most Outstanding Journalist of the Decade by the Disilgold Soul Literary Review in 2008, Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications around the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada and the Caribbean. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee and Rotten Tomatoes.

In addition to a BA in Black Studies from Cornell, he has an MA in English from Brown, an MBA from The Wharton School, and a JD from Boston University. Kam lives in Princeton, NJ with his wife and son.